


Good-night, Leonardo

by the_technicolor_whiscash



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: AU Canon Divergence, First Kiss, Kissing, M/M, Pining, ezio is bi and you can’t tell me otherwise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-20 22:02:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17630483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_technicolor_whiscash/pseuds/the_technicolor_whiscash
Summary: Ezio hasn’t been able to sleep well, not since his brothers and father were murdered. The only place he seems to be able to sleep is at Leonardo da Vinci’s workshop.





	Good-night, Leonardo

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been playing ac2 again and it’s such a good game I love Ezio like I would love a younger brother who makes bad life choices

“Ezio. Ezio!”

Ezio jolted awake, nearly falling out of his chair. Once again, he had fallen asleep while waiting for Leonardo to finish deciphering a Codex page. It was starting to happen at a relative frequency. “You’ve finished?” He muttered groggily. 

“Yes, and I’ve given your blade a bit of an upgrade. It should be sharper and more dangerous than ever.”

“Bene, thank you, my friend.” Ezio stood, taking the bracer from Leonardo. “Well, I should be off.”

“Before you go, I want to ask you a question.” Leonardo’s voice grew concerned. “How much sleep are you getting?”

“A few hours here and there.” Not nearly as many as he should have been getting. But he did most of his Assassin business at night, and during the day he had other things to attend to, so sleeping didn’t really fit into his schedule. 

“You do know that human beings need at least eight hours a night to be able to properly function.”

Ezio shrugged. “Who’s got the time?”

“I see your point.” Leonardo gave a worried laugh. “But try to get at least six hours, ok? It’s not healthy not to sleep.”

“You’re probably right. I’ll try to keep that in mind.” He patted Leonardo on the shoulder. “Farewell. I’ll be back with another page, should fortune favor my search.”

Leonardo smiled. “I’m sure it will. I await your return.”

Ezio left, and proceeded to scale a nearby building. Venezia was a city of many virtues, but her streets were beyond confusing. It was often easier to travel by rooftop or boat instead of getting lost down an alley. The sun was just beginning to set, painting the city in a golden light. 

Meeting with Leonardo was one of the highlights of Ezio’s day. It was refreshing, to be able to talk to someone who seemed to genuinely care about him. With what was left of his family remaining in Monteriggioni, he had had to set down new roots in Venezia. And he had made friends. Though, they were more allies than friends. Leonardo was the one person he knew when he came to the city. At this point, Leonardo was like family to him. 

He didn’t see Leonardo nearly as often as he should have, though. Ezio only ever really saw him when he needed a Codex page translated, or if he needed some new tech. But every time he left, Ezio wished he could have spent more time with him. Leonardo was always there to listen to whatever problems Ezio might have been having, of which he often had many. 

And, to be quite honest, he didn’t have many places to sleep nowadays. The Thieves Guild had sleeping quarters, but he always had trouble falling asleep. The city was just so loud, so busy even at night, so different from the place he used to call home. Even in Firenze, he couldn’t sleep, with the silence in his home being deafening. Leonardo’s workshop was the only place he managed to fall asleep almost instantly. 

Ezio sat on a rooftop, gazing across at some Palazzo he couldn’t remember the name of. Normally, before half his family had been killed, if he had been feeling empty inside, he would have visited Christina, or the nearest brothel. A night of passionate lovemaking was guaranteed to clear the mind. But nowadays, even sex wasn’t enough to take the weight off of his shoulders. He had gone from a life of no responsibilities to having too many. 

Before he knew it, the sun had set and the cool of the night descended upon him. A breeze blew the less than desirable scent of the canals in his direction. Ah, Venezia. 

Ezio stood, cracking his back before starting off back over the rooftops. He still had business to attend to. A greedy businessman with a pack of guards had been harassing the Thieves, so Antonio had asked Ezio to take care of it. And take care of it he would. 

It didn’t take him long to find the businessman. He had a house slightly more ornate than those of the rest of the city, and had guards stationed on all corners of his rooftop and in front of his door. But it was the only way to get in, so Ezio would have to take his chances. 

There may have been many guards, but none of them were particularly dangerous. Ezio supposed the man probably wanted the appearance of an army for cheap. 

He observed the routes of the rooftop guards and noticed that at a certain point, both of them weren’t looking towards the front of the house. He would use that moment to strike. 

There were four guards stationed outside the door, each with similar armor and weaponry. Ezio approached and quickly took out two of them with his hidden blades, but it called the immediate attention of the other two, who pulled out their weapons. Ezio pulled out his sword to match. One of them had a sword, which made it easy to parry and strike him through the chest. But the other had a warhammer. 

“Stay back, murderer!” The guard said, voice shaky. Apparently, he didn’t expect this to be happening. “Or I’ll smash you skull!”

“If you run away now, I won’t hurt you.” Ezio never wanted to kill more than he needed to. And he didn’t need to kill this man. 

The man froze, thinking. Then, he turned on his heel and ran off into the night. 

Ezio entered the house, feet treading silently over the wood of the floors. He glimpsed candlelight through a doorway, and proceeded in that direction. The light revealed the businessman, leaning over a ledger, quill in hand. He was so absorbed in his work that he didn’t notice Ezio’s approach until he had a knife through his ribs. 

“What?” The man coughed, already spitting up blood. “Who are you?”

“My name is Ezio Auditore. You’ve been causing trouble for the Thieves’ Guild, so I’ve been sent to kill you.”

“Those Thieves are a menace to society!” He coughed again, with even more blood this time. “All of the businessmen think so, I’m the only one who does anything about it!”

“Then you may rest easier, knowing you followed your convictions.”

The man fell dead to the desk. 

“Requiescat in pace.” 

Ezio left the house, climbing up the facade of another building and heading off over the rooftops. The one most important thing you learn when you’re an assassin, if you kill a man, make yourself scarce. 

As he leapt from rooftop to rooftop, he noticed his vision periodically blur. He didn’t think anything of it until he nearly missed a ledge, barely managing to catch onto it. He dragged himself onto the rooftop and looked forward, attempting to test if this blur would happen again. 

And then it hit him. How tired he was. His limbs felt like they were made of lead, and his eyelids were beginning to droop. But he knew he couldn’t sleep here, not on top of a roof. So he gathered what strength he had left and limped his way to the closest place he knew he would be safe: Leonardo’s. 

He knocked on the door twice before opening it. It was late, and normally he wouldn’t have knocked, but Leonardo was usually awake at this time anyway. “Leonardo? It’s me again.”

“Ezio! What a pleasant surprise!” Leonardo, who had evidently been focused on a painting, put down his paintbrush and approached Ezio. “To what do I owe the honor of two visits in one day?”

Ezio felt a light warmth in his core. Leonardo was always so kind. “I was wondering if I might stay here tonight. I don’t… well, I don’t really have anywhere else to sleep.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier? Of course you can stay here. I’ve got a spare room just through that doorway that shouldn’t be too filled with painting supplies. If you’ll just give me a minute, I can clear it out.”

“No need.” Ezio entered the room and fell face-down into bed, falling asleep within minutes. 

———————

Some time later, Ezio awoke with the sun beating through the curtains. Clearly he had been asleep for quite some time. He rolled over onto his back, sinking deep into the mattress, throwing an arm over his eyes. It had been a while since he had slept on a bed that was actually comfortable. 

Something occurred to him. He wasn’t feeling the pain that came with wearing armor to sleep, nor the hilts of his throwing knives digging into his side. He opened his eyes and looked down, and instantly noticed that all of his armor and weaponry were gone. Even his shoes had disappeared during the course of the night. A mild shock of fear ran through him, and he sat up and frantically looked around. And there was all of his gear, stacked up nicely against the wall. 

How did that happen? He couldn’t have taken it off in his sleep, could he? No, that wouldn’t be possible. But then, the only other option would be that Leonardo somehow managed to remove all of his armor without waking him. 

He slid out of bed and headed out of the room into the main workshop. Leonardo was already hard at work, sketching away at something in a notebook. His eyes lit up when he saw that Ezio had awakened. 

“Ah, you’re up!” Leonardo smiled. “I was wondering if you were going to sleep all day.”

“I wish I could have. But, Leonardo, did you take my gear off while I was asleep?”

Leonardo looked a little guilty, and Ezio noticed more than a faint hint of a blush cross his face. “Well, I watched you fall dead asleep with it all on, and I knew it would be uncomfortable for you. How you didn’t wake up, I have no idea.”

“I am a heavy sleeper. Plus, you were right. I haven’t been getting a lot of sleep lately, and it’s been affecting me.”

“If you ever need a place to sleep, my door is always open for you. I don’t often have guests as amiable as you are, so when I do, I appreciate it.” 

God, Ezio was glad for it. Leonardo could have made fun of him, could have said ‘I told you so,’ but he didn’t. He was just as kind and pleasurable as always, seemingly just happy to have Ezio there. “Thank you, my friend. I mean it.”

“It’s nothing. Ah, could you pass me that box of charcoal?” He pointed at an ornate metal tin. 

Ezio handed him the box. “What’re you drawing?”

“Oh, nothing special. Just a practice sketch. The only way to really get good at something is if you practice.”

Ezio eyed a painting on an easel, an ornately done portrait of a woman. “You’re already quite skilled. Is this one of your patrons?”

Leonardo glanced up from his drawing. “Yes, she commissioned it from me some time ago and I’ve only just now finished it. Though it could use a few retouches, to get it just right.”

“It’s beautiful. Perfectly lifelike.”

“I’m glad you think so. I think if I just get the shadowing right, it’ll really make it perfect.”

That was something that always struck Ezio about Leonardo. The man could paint something absolutely stunning, and still not be happy with it. He was one of the most talented artists Ezio had ever met, perhaps the most talented artist in all of Italy, and yet he was hypercritical of himself. “I would commission you myself, if I had the money. Maybe I can tap into Monteriggioni’s funds.”

There was that blush again. Ezio rather liked that blush. “You needn’t do that. If you want a painting, I can give you a friends and family discount.” 

“How long would I have to sit down for that?”

“Several hours, at least.”

“I think I’ll pass on that for now. Maybe someday, when I have more time.”

“That’s the big problem, isn’t it? Time. No one seems to have enough of it, and pack as much work as they can into what they do have, and by the time they’ve finished, they have no time for anything enjoyable, and then they die.” 

“Are you saying that people should relax more?”

Leonardo tapped his charcoal against his lip, thinking for a moment. “Yes, that, and that people should spend more time doing what they actually like doing. I spend my whole day making art, and I love it.”

“An interesting idea. But one that I should approach later. I must get ready for the day.”

Leonardo nodded. “Of course. You’re a busy man.” 

Ezio quickly reapplied his gear in the back room, noticing that it had perhaps a brighter sheen than before. He didn’t want to leave, not really. But he had to. He had things to take care of, people to talk to, places to scope out. Maybe he should take Leonardo’s advice and relax more. 

“I guess I’ll be off.” Ezio said, walking back into the workshop. “Thank you again. You’ve shown an incredible kindness to me.”

“It’s nothing more than you deserve.” Leonardo put down his drawing and stood, patting Ezio on the shoulder. “Should you ever need a place again, my door is always open.”

Ezio smiled. “I appreciate it.”

Ezio exited the workshop and proceeded on his way. Upon leaving, he felt something stirring inside of him. Something telling him to go back, to spend the rest of the day just relaxing in Leonardo’s workshop. And he found himself wanting to take Leonardo’s face into his hands and- oh, that was a rather odd new thought. He quickly shooed it away. It would do him no good to get involved romantically with anyone right now, much less Leonardo. It would make him a target for the Templars. 

Thought that was really the only reason he could think of preventing him from romancing Leonardo. That, and he didn’t know if Leonardo was interested in men. Ezio enjoyed the pleasures of both sexes, but many were not the same. The Catholic Church tended to frown upon people of the same sex engaging in sexual relationships. Then again, they frowned upon a lot of things. If Ezio ever went to confession, the priest might drop dead after hearing everything he’d done in his life. 

Perhaps later, once he had gotten revenge on his father’s killer and things had settled down, he might bring it up. But not now. There was too much going on, and Ezio didn’t even know if he would make it out the other end alive. It was better to spare everyone the heartbreak. 

Even if it did make him yearn a bit. 

——————

That night, he found himself at Leonardo’s again. It was well after midnight, but the young artist was still up, still sketching away. 

“Mind if I borrow your room again?” Ezio asked. “It’s just that it’s a step up from the Thieves’ Guild.”

“Of course! Make yourself at home.” 

This time, Ezio took his armor off himself, alongside his robes, until he was just in an undershirt and pants. He laid down in bed and once again fell asleep quickly, quicker than he ever fell asleep elsewhere. 

At some point during the night, he awoke in the darkness. He could still hear the sound of charcoal scratching against paper. Rolling out of bed, Ezio peeked his head out into the workshop, where Leonardo was drawing in the light of a single candle. 

“Leonardo? What are you still doing up?” He asked, for some reason feeling the need to speak in a hoarse whisper. 

Leonardo chuckled, his gaze travelling from his artwork to Ezio and then back again. “I seem to have lost track of time. Not uncommon for me to do.”

“Get some rest. I don’t want to have to repeat your own advice back to you, now.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Leonardo closed the sketchbook, gently placing it on the table. “Good night, Ezio.”

“Good night, Leonardo.”

——————

This continued on for several weeks. Ezio, showing up late, always asking permission to stay even though Leonardo told him he didn’t need to. Leonardo seemed to spend almost every night sketching, though what Ezio didn’t know. Whatever it was, it held his attention like glue. 

Admittedly, getting more sleep had helped Ezio get a better handle on his work. Now that his body was rested, he climbed with more ease, and felt less of a creak in his bones when he jumped off of a rooftop. He was more alert, and was able to react quicker in fights. 

But then came the problem. The more time he spent with Leonardo, the more he wanted to stay there. To learn how to paint or sculpt or something, and spend his days in Leonardo’s workshop instead of killing for a living. And instead of keeping a safe distance from Leonardo, Ezio realized he was more infatuated than he had previously expected. He no longer wanted to simply kiss the man, he wanted to ram him into the mattress. Or to get rammed into the mattress himself. Either way, it didn’t help. And it made their late-night chats awkward when he would have to attempt to hide his erection. 

Another thing that the Catholic Church disproved of was masturbation. Ezio regularly broke this rule. 

And then came a wave of warm weather. And things got hot. People on the streets crowded under whatever shady overhangs they could find, in a desperate attempt to cool off. Ezio decided to travel via the canals as opposed to the rooftops, because as much as he disliked swimming, it was a better alternative than boiling to death. 

The coming of the evening didn’t help, and it was still sweltering when Ezio made his way into Leonardo’s workshop. He was dripping slightly since he had just climbed out of a canal. “Sorry about the water. Mind if I-“

“Ezio, like I tell you every time,” Leonardo smiled. Damn that smile. Ezio loved it. “You don’t need to ask.”

“And every time I will. I was raised with manners, you know.”

“Manners that have you dripping on my floors. Did you just climb out of a canal?”

He clearly meant it in a joking manner. Ezio nodded. “I did, actually. It’s a great way to cool off.”

Leonardo chuckled, shaking his head. “Sometimes I can hardly believe the things you do.”

“Good night, Leonardo.”

“Good night, Ezio.”

Ezio stripped down to his undershirt and pants, just like normal. But as soon as he climbed into bed, he realized that it was still too hot. No matter which way he laid or how wide he opened the windows, he was still sweating. So he made the executive decision to sleep in the nude. It wasn’t like anyone was going to see him anyway. 

It was a lot cooler with his clothes off, and he soon drifted off to sleep. 

A few hours later, he awoke with a start to someone saying his voice. He had been having a nightmare, one that had been recurring ever since he saw his father and brothers get murdered. The sights of them falling, the light leaving their eyes as their necks were snapped… 

“Ezio. You were yelling. Are you alright?” The voice betrayed that it was Leonardo even though he couldn’t make out his features through the darkness. 

“I’m fine. Just a nightmare. Nothing unusual.” He tried to steel himself, but he was still shaken. “Did I wake you up?”

“No, I couldn’t sleep. Too warm.” Leonardo stepped into a beam of moonlight, and- oh, god. He was naked too. From what Ezio could see, he was relatively muscular, and had a package that sent jolts of activity down to his own. “You’re sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine, Leonardo. I assure you.” He had to take his eyes off of Leonardo’s penis before the man realized. But it was very, very hard to do. “Try and get some sleep. Don’t stay up all night drawing. I know you do.”

“I’ll do my best, but I can’t make any promises. Goodnight, Ezio.”

“Goodnight, Leonardo.” 

Ezio was relieved when Leonardo left, because he was seconds away from having a raging boner. He sighed and tried to think of literally anything other than Leonardo’s cock. Or his surprisingly well-built body. Or his lips. Or his hands, perpetually covered in paint and pigments as they were. 

Fuck. It looked like he wasn’t going to get much sleep that night. 

———————

The heat wave finally dissipated, and Ezio went back to wearing at least pants to bed. He didn’t want another incident like that night, where Leonardo might have seen just how hard Ezio got while talking to him. Leonardo also seemed to refrain from coming in to Ezio’s room, which he was grateful for. 

Another night, Ezio awoke and didn’t hear the familiar sound of charcoal against paper. Curious, he climbed out of bed and entered the workshop. Leonardo was passed out on a long kind of sofa, candle still burning on his desk alongside his sketchbook. 

The book was still open, so Ezio took a peek. He was surprised when he found a sketch of himself, sleeping peacefully, done in beautifully lifelike detail. He flipped back a page, and saw another drawing of himself, in a different position. The more he flipped back, the more he found drawings of himself. Ezio’s heart began to race. He was so flattered that Leonardo would sketch him, and to do it so many times with such detail. 

And then there was one. A drawing of Ezio in bed, an arm thrown over his eyes, with one knee up. Completely naked. 

He examined the drawing closely. It was done with the same detail as the others, maybe even more, with precision to get every aspect of Ezio’s body right. From the way his hair splayed across the pillow to the obvious care given to his private parts, everything was done beautifully. Ezio knew he should have felt embarrassed, that his friend was drawing him while he was asleep, but instead he was flattered beyond belief. Leonardo was fantastically talented, and it showed in the care he took in his sketches. 

Ezio flipped the sketchbook back to the page it had been on when he found it and looked over at Leonardo. It was the first time that Ezio had actually seen him asleep, in the months he had been staying here. He looked beautiful, at peace with the world and all it had to offer. Ezio wished he were as talented as an artist, so that he could draw something similar for Leonardo. Without even realizing it, he reached out and brushed a lock of hair out of Leonardo’s face. The man stirred slightly, but didn’t wake up. 

Ezio told himself he was going to keep himself at a distance. He told himself he wasn’t going to get attached. But now, he was undoubtedly in love with Leonardo, and there was no turning back. 

He made his way back to his room, yes, it was essentially his room now, and laid back in bed. It took him a while to fall asleep, as his head was filled with thoughts of Leonardo. 

The next morning, Ezio awoke with the conviction that he would tell Leonardo how he felt. Consequences be damned, he needed to get it off of his chest. He rolled out of bed and entered the workshop, trying to remain confident around the wave of nervousness that swept over him. 

“Leonardo.” Ezio said, “I have a few confessions to make.”

Leonardo, who had been working on another painting, spun around on his stool. “Really? I’m all ears.”

“Firstly, I looked at your sketchbook last night.”

Leonardo went bright red. “Which one?”

“The one filled with drawings of me.”

“Ah, well, you see, they’re studies of the human form, and since you were already there, I figured I would get some practice in.” Leonardo sounded almost as nervous as Ezio felt. He held up his hands. “I can stop if it makes you uncomfortable.” 

Ezio took Leonardo’s hands into his own, in a move that clearly surprised the artist. “I’m not uncomfortable with it, I’m unbelievably flattered. You draw me so well. I can’t even express how I felt when I saw them. They’re so beautiful, you should be charging me for it.”

“I wouldn’t charge you for art you didn’t know I was making.” 

Ezio could feel Leonardo’s hands trembling. “You’re nervous.”

“Technically, you weren’t supposed to see those sketches. I wasn’t sure how you would react to them. And I… in my past, I was accused of sodomy. Charges were never pressed, but nonetheless I was still accused.” Leonardo looked straight at the ground, not making eye contact with Ezio. “I don’t take pleasure in the company of women, Ezio. Think of me what you will, but that’s just how I am.”

Ezio tucked a finger under Leonardo’s chin, pushing his head up until he had to meet Ezio’s gaze. “Lucky for you, my talents are not limited to just one sex.” 

Leonardo raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Ezio kissed Leonardo on the cheek, evicting a slight gasp from him, “that I like you that way too, Leonardo.” He kissed Leonardo’s other cheek, and then his nose. Then, he finally kissed Leonardo on the lips, gently at first, and then with more force when Leonardo didn’t move away. 

“I had guessed,” said Leonardo, breath heavy, “that night when it was hot. You kept squirming around, trying to hide an erection. But I passed it off, thinking it was just a trick of the light.”

“You guessed right, my friend.” Ezio kissed him again, the sensation of Leonardo’s rough facial hair against his face only making him more excited. “Mm. I could get used to this.” 

Leonardo moaned when Ezio began kissing down his neck, biting into the soft skin near his collar bone. “Don’t… don’t you have assassin business to take care of?”

“Nothing that can’t wait. This is more important.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ezio is bi you can’t change my mind


End file.
